Simchat Torah - literally the Joy of Torah - reminds us that each morsel of Jewish teaching is worth revisiting and savoring every year, every chance. Some parts of the Torah are more narrative and feel more exciting than others, and some parts contain laws or stories that may be difficult for us to understand now, but all of it has worth and meaning for us at each stage of our lives.

Unlike at other seders, where we drink four glasses of wine, this morning we will drink five glasses of mixed beverages that remind us of each of the Five Books of Moses. The blessing for each of these concoctions is:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְ‑יָ אֱ‑לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'Olam, borei shehakol nihyeh bidvaro.

Blessed are You, Adonai Our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates by speaking.

We honor the first book of the Torah - Genesis or Bereshit, with a Let There Be Light Sunrise, with or without the Tequlia. Thank you, God, for the creation of the Earth, and for blessing our earliest ancestors.


Booklet Section: Wine Blessing